Ever get the feeling you just don’t know what your elderly animal companion wants any more. Are you both losing sleep over it?

Pets are living longer and longer because of improvements in veterinary care and nutrition. As pets age, you may notice cognitive dysfunction, the medical term for changes that may indicate some loss of mental sharpness.
Dogs and cats cannot be precisely diagnosed with senility or dementia: however, changes in their brain mimic some of the changes seen in humans with these conditions. When a pet exhibits some of the following symptoms, we can help with treatment options.

Symptoms of Cognitive Dysfunction Disorder:

• Changes in sleep patterns
• Increased anxiety
• Loss of alertness
• No longer using the litterbox
• Loss of housetraining
• Excessive vocalization
• Changes in level of aggression
• Not wanting to play
• Isolating themselves

Treatments for some of these disorders vary from simple behavioral modifications, to supplements or diet changes, to drugs. Discuss the options with our team, we will likely want to check for underlying problems that may cause or worsen cognitive dysfunction. What some consider aging may be a disease state that can be helped with intervention with one of the many treatments now available and make an aging pet feel better.

Listen in to RadioLive where Megan talks to Mark Sainsbury about common brain diseases to watch out for!